


A Dozen Dead Flowers

by PeculiarChild



Series: Need You Like The Water In My Lungs [1]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Ambiguous/Open Ending, Angst with a Happy Ending, Author Is Sleep Deprived, Bisexual Lance (Voltron), Blood, Crying, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Everything is Beautiful and Everything Hurts, Flowers, Getting Together, Hanahaki Disease, Hurt Keith (Voltron), Hurt/Comfort, I'm Sorry, Idiots in Love, Keith (Voltron) Angst, Keith (Voltron) Needs a Hug, Keith and Shiro are Adoptive Siblings, Keith/Lance (Voltron) Angst, Lance (Voltron) Flirts, Love Confessions, M/M, Not Actually Unrequited Love, Pining, Pining Keith (Voltron), Pre-Relationship, Protective Shiro (Voltron), Sad Keith (Voltron), Sad with a Happy Ending, The Author Regrets Everything, Touch-Starved Keith (Voltron), Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-07
Updated: 2018-03-07
Packaged: 2019-03-22 23:52:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,925
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13775256
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PeculiarChild/pseuds/PeculiarChild
Summary: You make flowers grow in my lungs, and although they're beautiful, I can't breathe.





	A Dozen Dead Flowers

**Author's Note:**

> You know what this fandom lacks? Keith with Hanahaki disease. I'm taking the matter in my own hands. Sorry not sorry.

Keith had never been the one to stop and admire beautiful things. However, it was safe to say a certain tan skinned boy was the only exception. Well, how could he not, when the said boy was sitting in a bed of flowers, nearly as pretty as himself.

The flowers looked like forget-me-nots, if Keith recalled correctly. He approached Lance slowly, not wanting to startle him. He made sure to make noises, to let Lance know that someone was approaching. With a soft "Hey man.", Keith plopped himself next to Lance, who was smiling brightly.

"Hey Keith! Look at these flowers! They look so much like forget-me-nots, and I love them!"

Keith replied with a soft smile of his own, heart beating frantically. He definitely had a weak spot for the Blue Paladin.

The mission had been hard on everyone, and they were currently basking in the attention that the natives were giving them. Although Keith usually spent his free time in the training room, relaxing like this every now and then felt nice. Especially the times he spends with Lance like this. It wouldn't be too long before he forced his whole rivalry bullshit on Keith again, and Keith wanted to savor every moment he and Lance could spend like this.

They sat in silence for a while. Though the silence wasn't an uncomfortable one. In fact, it was the complete opposite. It felt peaceful, and Keith kinda wished it would stay that way forever.

But of course, it wouldn't. Keith knew it wouldn't. The silence was broken when a pretty, native alien girl approached them, with flowers in Lance's eye colour in her arms.

"Uuuh... I brought these flowers for the Blue Paladin..."

Keith noticed Lance's face immediately brighten. He leaped up and gently took the flowers from the girl's hands with a slight blush on his face.

"Why thank you, it's an honour to be given flowers by such a beautiful lady like yourself!"

Keith watched Lance flirt with the alien girl, same as usual. But why did it hurt this time?

He couldn't bear it. He couldn't bear the hurt welling up in his chest. Lance was so immersed in flirting with the girl that he didn't even notice Keith leaving. With a furrowed brow, Keith made his way back to his lion. He felt Red purr at the back of his mind, trying to soothe the boy's hurt. A bittersweet smile tugged on his lips as he spoke.

"Thanks girl, I appreciate it."

Red let out another soft purr, and Keith felt his nerves gradually go lax. He slumped further into his chair, waiting for Allura's signal to leave.

He didn't know how much time passed until the said signal came. He just sat there in utter silence, save for Red's occasional purrs. He sighed when it was finally time to leave, and he had to leave his lion to bid farewell to the natives, their new allies.

He quickly glanced at the Blue Paladin, who now had a pretty flower crown sitting atop his head. His eyes fell to Lance's face, and their eyes met. Keith quickly looked the other way, to avoid Lance's mean words directed at him, and to hide the blush creeping up his face. However, he quickly realized his efforts were in vain as Lance opened his mouth to speak.

"Hey Mullet, where have you been? Let me guess, brooding on your own again?"

"As if." Keith shot back immediately, a scowl forming on his face.

Ah, there it was again. He put his walls up so high that he was always on guard, never letting anyone in. Well, Lance wasn't exactly friendly, suddenly claiming Keith as his rival and started hating him, but still. They had to be able to place trust in each other, but Keith was pretty sure that Lance just hated his guts.

Suddenly, the painful realization that Keith trusted Lance, the boy who hated him, with his life hit him like a brick.

With a heaved sigh, he bid the kind aliens farewell and quickly rushed to his lion, and to the castle. He waited a little until everyone left the hangar to leave. He wanted to avoid Lance as much as possible. Not just Lance, but everyone on that matter. He didn't feel like facing anybody.

When Keith stepped out of Red, he found Shiro waiting for him. With a defeated slump of his shoulders, he walked up to him.

"Keith? I noticed that you were acting odd today, is something the matter?"

Keith could only give him a small nod, along with a silent "Dont worry about me."

He knew Shiro wasn't buying any of his crap, but he didn't pry. Keith was grateful. Shiro always knew what he needed, and what he needed right now was some alone time. Brooding, as Lance would say.

 Shiro gave him a friendly pat on his shoulder, as he passed him by. He didn't even feel like training to let out his frustrations, he just wanted to sleep. He suddenly felt really tired. He'd probably have to wake up at some point for dinner, but he couldn't bring himself to care. He went straight to his room, and flopped down on bed, not bothering to change out of his bulky and uncomfortable armour. He couldn't care less. Sleep came to him swiftly, and he dreamt.

 

***

 L _ance._

_That was all the ravenette could think of. His senses were overwhelmed with Lance. He was right in front of him, so close. He could even count his cute freckles. But then came the harsh, taunting words._

_**"Oh, Keith, you're just good for nothing, aren't you? You're not wanted here. Maybe we should just eject you into space, huh? Then we'll find a way better Red Paladin. How does that sound?"**_

_Keith felt like choking. Even though he knew this was all a dream, but it still squeezed his chest painfully, hearing Lance say those mean words to him. He gaped like a fish out of water, trying to find his words. He felt so desperate, weak, vulnerable. Before he could even utter a word, Lance spoke up again._

_**"So you're acting all hurt now? But you see, none of us gives a shit. Not me, not Pidge, not Hunk, not even Shiro. You're so pathetic. No one loves you. No one cares about you. You're all alone."**_

***

Keith woke up, all alone.

Feeling worthless. Feeling vulnerable.

An awful feeling made his heart swell.

He immediately jolted to sit upright. He could feel the unwanted tears running down his face. He lifted one of his hands to wipe his tears, but his hand was bloody. He jumped out of the bed, quickly yanking his armour off. He wasn't bleeding anywhere. He glanced at the bed. It was covered in blood, and... flower petals. Pretty, blue petals, tainted red with his blood.

He quickly grabbed a handful of petals to inspect them. They appeared to be... Forget-me-not petals.

Suddenly, a violent cough shook his exhausted body, and he brought a bloodied hand to cover his mouth. When his coughing ceased, he pulled his hand back. There was fresh blood, and more of the blue petals in his palm.

Then, Keith knew.

Hanahaki.

He'd heard about it once, while he was still attending Garrison. Some poor boy from his class fell in love with Shiro, but when Shiro kindly rejected him, he started to cough up lilies, Shiro's favourite flower. He had to undergo a surgery to have it removed.

It happened if you were suffering from unrequited love.

He quickly made his way to the bathroom, washing the blood away from his hands and mouth. Despite all the cleaning, the sickening taste of copper still lingered in his mouth. He figured it was time for dinner, this could be a good time to join the others in the dining hall.

He made his way to his bed, more like, to the mess in his bed. He gathered his blood soaked sheets, dumped the petals in the trash bin, and unceremoniously stuffed the sheets to a corner in his bathroom. He'd wash them later when everyone was asleep.

He wasn't surprised that he was suddenly coughing up flowers, specifically forget-me-nots, the favourite flower of a certain tan skinned boy with ocean blue eyes and soft skin. No, not really. Not in the slighest.

He knew he'd been harboring strong feelings for him, but he never dared to name those feelings, until now.

Well, the feelings named themselves for him, anyways.

After making sure he didn't look as bad as he felt, he stepped out of his room. When he made it to the dining hall, he saw that only Hunk and Shiro were present at the table. Keith breathed out, relieved. He plopped down to his usual seat, and started to munch on the food goo in his bowl. He was pleased to find out that it quickly took away the copper taste. When he realized that he was being watched, he lifted his head.

He saw that Hunk had already left, and Shiro was looking at him intently.

"Keith... I know you don't like it when people stick their nose to your business, but I'm worried about you."

Keith remembered dream Lance's words.

_'None of us gives a shit. Not even Shiro.'_

Keith quickly shook his head and pushed the bowl away. He was suddenly not hungry anymore.

"I'm fine Shiro, Really."

Shiro lifted one of his eyebrows, not really convinced. Dream Lance's words echoed inside his brain, wiping out any will Keith had to tell Shiro what was happening. He shrugged, trying to look nonchalant.

Shiro let out a defeated sigh as he got up.

"Good night Keith."

With that, he hurried out of the dining hall and Keith was left alone. He didn't want to go back to his room, so he opted to go the training room. He quickly pulled his fingerless gloves out of his pocket and slipped them on as he made his way to the training room.

As the door opened with a silent whoosh sound, dread quickly flooded his senses.

Lance was there.

Lance, of all people, was there in the training room, shooting the drones with his rifle. Keith gaped for a few seconds, ready to leave. But then, Lance spotted him and quickly ended the simulation.

"Hey Mullet! Come spar with me?"

What was Keith supposed to say? He couldn't say no to that pretty face, ever.

"Sure."

He walked in to the room, and then towards Lance, grabbing his bayard on the way. After they were both ready, Lance started the simulation. It was easy to fall to a rhytm with Lance, because they knew each other's fighting patterns well. It felt as easy as fighting on his own. It almost felt peaceful, fighting side by side with Lance.

Everything was fine, until Keith felt his chest tighten. He clutched his chest with his free hand while he kept swinging his sword, clumsily. He prayed that it wasn't noticeable, but of course, the oh so observant Lance noticed it and quickly ended the simulation.

"Keith?"

Keith opened his mouth to speak, but all that came out was a violent cough, wracking his pale frame. He knew what it was, he refused to open his mouth so that the petals could fall out. His hands flew automatically to his mouth, covering it.

Lance looked at him, concern written all over his face. He grabbed Keith's hands, trying to pull them away.

"Just let it out, Keith!"

Keith couldn't. He couldn't let him see. It was so hard to breathe. His lungs burned, his eyes filled with tears. Lance's hands were on him, trying to make him let it go, whispering reassurances to his ear.

Keith tore himself from his grasp, using his strength to his advantage, and bolted towards his room. He couldn't think. He couldn't breathe. All he could feel was the blinding pain in his lungs. Red and white dots blurred his vision, and it wasn't long before he collapsed on the ground, petals and blood dying the floor in a pretty mix of red and blue.

He pulled his knees closer to his chest, trying to make the pain go away, trying to breathe. Why did he have to collapse in the middle of the corridor, where anyone could walk in on him? Dream Lance was right, he was truly pathetic.

His tears made a pretty addition to the small puddle forming under his head as he gasped for air. 

Somewhere between his inner turmoil, he heard a sharp gasp. He tilted his head slightly upwards, and saw Lance. His mouth was hanging open as he took in the scene before him.

Keith closed his eyes, and prayed that it was all a dream. It wasn't. He felt skinny but somehow strong arms wrap around him, and his head was lifted off the ground, a warm hand wiping at the blood trickling down his lips.

"Keith... Why didn't you tell us that you had Hanahaki?"

"I... Just... Found out... A few hours ago..."

Talking hurt. Breathing hurt. Everything hurt, and Keith was losing it. He wanted to cry. He could feel the hot tears prickling at his eyes. Lance was so warm...

Keith was falling apart, and of course, Lance would be the one to find him at his most vulnerable state. He half expected him to make fun of him, but the words never came. Instead, Lance held him.

Lance held him, as his whole body shook with cough after cough, he stroked his hair, massaged his scalp, kissed the top of his head and told him he'd be okay.

Keith slowly but surely fell apart in his arms. Even after his coughing ceased, Lance didn't let go of him. So Keith cried, tears mixing with blood and staining Lance's t-shirt even further. He let himself be completely undone in Lance's warmth, even though he knew it was temporary.

Tomorrow, Lance would be his old mean self again. But for now, it was okay. Now, he was here, in the arms of the boy he was coughing flowers for.

"I dreamt of you today."

"Oh? Tell me about it?"

Lance's voice was far different from his usual, mocking tone. He sounded too gentle, like he was afraid of breaking something fragile.

"You told me that I would be better off dead. That no one loved me, and no one cared about me."

Keith felt Lance's body go rigid, the hand on his back suddenly curled in a fist.

"That's just some bullshit, Kogane. You know that's not true."

"No, Lance, what if it is?"

Keith hated how his voice sounded. So weak, so small. Vulnerable.

Lance took a deep breath before lifting Keith up a little so he could look at him in the eye.

"Keith, listen to me. The flowers... They are forget-me-nots, my... My favourite type of flower. I know what that means. I bet you want to know why I'm acting like a real jerk towards you, calling you my rival and all that stuff. The thing is... Damn, Kogane, I had a crush on you back at Garrison. A bad one at that. I always looked up to you, but you never turned around to look at me. And you suddenly dropped out, no one knew where you went. I tried so search for you, but I found nothing. And when we met again, you didn't even remember me! I was so mad at you, so, so mad, and I thought if I acted like I hated you, it'd go away. It kinda did, but now... Seeing you here, like this... I still like you, Keith. Albeit a little less than before, but I do. I won't go ahead of myself and say that I can give you the amount of love you give me, but... I care about you. Even if no one else does, I do. I'm sorry, I've been a complete jerk to you. But I want to try it with you, my longest lasting crush ever, if you'll have me."

Keith had never seen Lance this sincere before. A few tears rolled down his cheeks without him realizing, but it didn't go unnoticed by Lance. He wiped them away with his thumbs, patiently waiting for Keith's answer.

Keith had never been good with words. So he chose to show Lance his answer.

He tilted his head up, and pressed a feather-light kiss to Lance's soft, plump lips.

It didn't matter that Keith was a mess, that they were sitting in a puddle of Keith's blood, adorned with blue petals. It didn't matter that he had made a mess of Lance's shirt, that his throat was sore and his lungs ached painfully.

Lance was there, holding Keith, rocking his smaller body back and forth, as if he was trying to make a baby fall asleep. Keith could feel the weight on his chest gradually lessen as he succumbed to the urge to close his eyes, and let himself drift off to sleep.

Just as he was about to fall deeply asleep, he suddenly felt himself being lifted off the ground in bridal style, snapping him out of his sleepy daze. He cracked an eye open, tired, and looked at Lance. He shushed him with a soft smile.

"Sleep, Keith. I'll see you tomorrow."

And so, sleep he did. Lance would see him tomorrow, after all.

**Author's Note:**

> I kinda feel like I messed up a little at the end... Please comment and let me know of my mistakes!


End file.
